Have a five-minute break from shopping in Spalding this Saturday and it could save your life or prevent you from having a disabling stroke.

The Rotary Club of South Holland is once more joining forces with The Stroke Association to offer free blood pressure checks.

Trained medical professionals will do the speedy and painless checks from 10am-3pm at the South Holland Centre – and anyone with high blood pressure will be advised to see their family doctor to have it treated.

The Stroke Association estimates there could be up to 6.8million people in the UK with undiagnosed high blood pressure, putting them at unnecessary risk when it can be treated easily by GPs.

Steve Colby, the Rotary Club of South Holland’s president elect, said: “Some people don’t realise their blood pressure is high.

“We have had instances in the past where we have told people to get to their doctor fairly quickly because, unknown to them, their blood pressure is on the high side and could be a danger to them.

“There are several ways of lowering blood pressure under medical supervision.

“We normally see upwards of 200 people on these days and we usually find a small percentage who didn’t know their blood pressure was high.”

Fellow Rotarian Peter Kite said club members will be outside the South Holland Centre with “lollipop” signs to help encourage as many people as possible to take advantage of the free service.

He said the process is quite quick – unless a lot of people arrive at the same time – and people attending will be able to get guidance from The Stroke Association literature.

The national Know Your Blood Pressure Day takes place on April 23, but it’s being held in Spalding a week earlier owing to the availability of health care professionals who carry out the checks.

Stroke is the UK’s fourth single biggest cause of death.

High blood pressure is more of a deadly threat because often there are no symptoms and it can go undetected.

The Stroke Association’s deputy director of policy, Alexis Wieroniey, said: “Having a regular blood pressure check is so important. Estimates suggest there could be almost seven million people with high blood pressure who are undiagnosed and at risk of having a stroke.

“Many people have high blood pressure without realising it because it often has no symptoms.

“High blood pressure is far more common than you would think and it can be deadly, but it is treatable.

“With events like this, together we can conquer stroke.”

Previously ...

This FREE check could save your life

Rotary Club is saving lives with a simple blood pressure test

Rotary blood pressure checks prove popular

Spalding United’s final away game of the season brought their first win on the road since November.

The Tulips had gone 12 matches without a victory on their travels since thrashing Leek Town 3-0.

But Neal Spafford’s 89th-minute goal ended that run with the only goal of Saturday’s game at Newcastle Town.

Three points lifted Marcus Ebdon’s side back into the top half of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League First Division South table.

Meanwhile, Holbeach United slipped to sixth in the ChromaSport & Trophies United Counties League Premier Division with a third successive defeat.

They were beaten 3-1 by Eynesbury Rovers who moved above the Tigers into fourth.

Rhys Thorpe’s third-minute opener was cancelled out by Ollie Gale just past the half-hour mark.

Lee Bassett put Rovers 2-1 up in first-half stoppage-time but he had a penalty saved by Holbeach manager Tom Roberts with 13 minutes left.

However, five minutes later Joe Bradbury fired home to seal Eynesbury’s win at Carter’s Park.

Bourne Town are fourth in Division One after a 2-1 home win over Rushden & Higham United.

Craig Rook’s early penalty put the Wakes ahead and Sam Wilson doubled the lead before half-time.

EVO-STIK NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE

First Division South: Belper 2 Market Drayton 0, Carlton 1 Coalville 1, Chasetown 3 Rugby 1, Daventry 0 Gresley 7, Leek 3 Tividale 1, Loughborough Dynamo 1 Stocksbridge Park Steels 5, Newcastle 0 Spalding 1, Romulus 1 Lincoln 2, Shaw Lane Aquaforce 2 Kidsgrove 2, Sheffield 2 Goole 1, Stafford 0 Basford 0.

CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE

Premier Division: AFC Kempston 4 Peterborough Northern Star 0, Desborough 2 Cogenhoe 0, Harborough 3 Oadby 1, Holbeach 1 Eynesbury 3, Leicester Nirvana 2 Northampton Spencer 2, Rothwell Corinthians 1 Sleaford 3.

Division One: Bourne 2 Rushden & Higham 1, Long Buckby 1 Blackstones 2, Lutterworth 2 Buckingham 1, ON Chenecks 2 Potton 0, Raunds 4 Irchester 3, Whitworth 2 Thrapston 5.

Reserve Division: Cogenhoe 0 Rushden & Higham 2, Irchester 1 Raunds 2, Northampton Spencer 1 Peterborough Northern Star 0, Thrapston 2 Bugbrooke St Michaels 3.

CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES PETERBOROUGH & DISTRICT LEAGUE

Premier Division: AFC Stanground 2 Ketton 3, Langtoft 1 Moulton Harrox 2, Netherton 3 Pinchbeck 2, Peterborough ICA Sports 9 Crowland 1, Stilton 4 Uppingham 1, Thorney 4 Peterborough Sports Res 8, Whittlesey 5 Leverington Sports 0.

Division One: Spalding Res 1 Moulton Harrox Res 3, Sutton Bridge 4 Oundle 2.

Division Two: Leverington Sports Res 2 Peterborough Polonia 3, Oakham Res 8 Thorney Res 0.

Division Three: Baston Res 1 Ramsey 1, Oundle Res 3 Eye 6, Tydd St Mary 2 Stanground Sports 3.

Division Four: AFC Stanground Res 2 Holbeach Bank 2, Brotherhood Sports 6 Tydd St Mary Res 0, Stamford Belvedere Res 5 Whaplode Drove 0.

Division Five: Harrowby Res 3 Feeder 0, Stanground Sports Res 1 Whittlesey C 2.

BALCAN LIGHTING SUPPLIES LINCOLNSHIRE LEAGUE

Brigg Res 3 Skegness United 1, CGB Humbertherm 3 Ruston Sports 1, Hykeham 2 Horncastle 0.

It seems unlikely now that Holbeach United can even claim a consolation prize as ‘the best of the rest’.

A third successive defeat sent the Tigers down to sixth spot, having spent all season trying to catch up and hoping to get into the title race.

Although they can still look forward to the Knockout Cup final, Holbeach’s league form must be a concern.

They have not kept a clean sheet in the Premier Division in 16 games since December.

It took three minutes for Eynesbury Rovers to take the lead on Saturday.

Rhys Thorpe ended a spell of 280 minutes without a goal for the Cambridgeshire side.

Josh Ford had a series of first-half efforts but the Tigers maintained their record of a goal in every game so far in 2016 thanks to Ollie Gale’s equaliser.

Gale found the far corner with a crisp right-foot drive after Ford linked up down the left with Aaron Eyett.

However, in stoppage-time Lee Bassett put Eynesbury 2-1 up with a close-range volley.

Andrew Tidswell came so close to a leveller soon after the break and Nick Jackson’s header was cleared inside the six-yard box.

Jackson’s trip on Bassett conceded a penalty but the Rovers number nine saw his spot-kick pushed out by Tom Roberts diving to his right.

Five minutes later, though, Roberts could only watch as Joe Bradbury fired past him from the edge of the penalty area.

That sealed Rovers’ victory and lifted them into fourth place above the Tigers.

HOLBEACH UNITED

4-4-2: Roberts 6; Elston 6, Stevens 6, Jackson 6, Cartwright 6; Gale 6 (sub Newcombe 80 mins), Tidswell 6, Warfield 6 (sub Russon 87 mins), Eyett 7; Clitheroe 6 (sub Ward 72 mins), Ford 6. Subs not used: Barnes, Donald.

EYNESBURY ROVERS

4-4-1-1: De Garis; Hickling (sub Freshwater 72 mins), Woodend, J Ducket, Bentley; Thorpe (sub Bannister 68 mins), Bradbury, R Ducket, Ngwala (sub C Inskip 80 mins); Coles; Bassett. Sub not used: Van Berg.

REFEREE

Kevin Saunby.

GOALS

Thorpe (3 mins, 0-1); Gale (31 mins, 1-1); Bassett (45 mins, 1-2); Bradbury (82 mins, 1-3).

BOOKING

Jackson (foul).

ATTENDANCE

95

STAR MAN

Aaron Eyett – always looking to create chances on the front foot.

ENTERTAINMENT

★★

WHO’S NEXT

Wisbech Town (A) – Tuesday.

Brexit supporters argue persuasively that, because the UK buys more from the EU, that we have a strong negotiating position from which to quickly agree a new mutually beneficial trade deal, giving us continued access to the single market.

The UK sells 44 per cent of our total exports into the EU, but buys only 10 per cent of EU exports. We need access to the single EU market.

Most of this country’s exports and imports are with Germany, the Netherlands, France, Scandinavia, Belgium, Italy and Ireland. Trade with the majority of the EU members is insignificant.

Those in favour of leaving the EU believe that the UK could negotiate free trade agreements with other countries.

Since 1997, the World Trade Organisation has tried to reach and ratify a new free trade agreement covering goods and services without success and in 2015 abandoned the DOHA agreement. Region free trade agreements are being established.

The EU single market has 450 million customers, generating 20 per cent of the globe’s annual GDP.

Countries that are participants in regional free trade blocks will not want to agree deals with third parties which compromise or prejudice commitments already in place.

Canada, for example, has agreed terms with the EU for a free trade agreement (yet to be ratified) on terms that do not prejudice its existing commitments but which does not extend to free trade in financial services, the UK’s largest export carrier. The USA is adamantly opposed to free trade in financial services.

Your readers must decide if the UK, with its potential 65 million customers generating 3.5 per cent of global GDP, has the negotiating muscle and clout to secure a good deal for Britain when we are free to negotiate our own trade deals?

MIDLANDS FOUR EAST (SOUTH): Thorney 29 Bourne 7

Bourne captain Tom Dixon admitted a slow start was to blame for his side’s failure to make it three wins in a row at Thorney.

Josh Boddey scored the solitary try for the visitors at Ron Jacobs Playing Fields where they edged the second half, according to Dixon.

“We took 20 to 30 minutes to get going in the first half which cost us,” Dixon said.

“Thorney scored a couple of quick tries and it took us a while to settle down after that.

“But we were missing Paul Mamby and Neil Wood which meant that we struggled in the set-pieces, lineouts and scrums, resulting in poor ball for the strong set of backs we had like Sam Thornburn who we couldn’t utilise.

“We’re still positive about the Lincs Cup game next week at Cleethorpes but we’ll have to get the effects of travelling there out of us as they are a decent side who will be up for the game.”

Facebook users around the world can now add a literally all-singing and dancing extra layer of personalisation to their profile with the social network’s introduction of moving profile pictures.

With almost 30 million profile image updates every day, the internet giant says it is opening up the site to even more creativity with its Profile Expression Kit for developers.

A step forward from previous profile video experiments, the kit means that users can create .gif-like videos in a third-party app and then share them on Facebook in place of their boring old static profile.

Behind the technical jargon this essentially means your profile picture can move around like the enchanted photographs in the Harry Potter world - albeit on a fairly short loop.

In a statement, Facebook said: “Last September, we launched profile videos to give people a new way to bring their profiles to life.

“We were blown away by the positive response of profile videos and the variety of creative ways people used them to show off their personality.

“Today, we’re further unlocking this creativity and lowering the barrier to expression by releasing the Facebook Profile Expression Kit.”

The kit is currently available to a selection of iOS app developers including MSQRD, Boomerang from Instagram, lollicam, BeautyPlus, Cinemagraph Pro from Flixel and Vine.

This means Facebook users with Apple devices can use any of these apps to create and upload their own ever-changing profile image.

There were celebrations all around - including wedding bells - at a recent charity ball which raised £3,700 for the Little Princess Trust.

The evening, organised by Salon Alchemy, which is based in Oldrids Department Store, in Boston, was held at the South Holland Centre.

As well as the charity fundraising, the event celebrated the marriage of Salon owners Rocco Tizzano and Kelly Varley which had taken place – in secret – that morning at Spalding Registry Office.

Kelly said: “Just before we danced the night away to local band Zebra, we announced to the team and our guests that we had got married that morning.

“We kept it that low key that Rocco went off to work after and I headed straight to the venue to set up for the evening.

“This caused mass hysteria filled with smiles, cheers and tears of joy.”

Also being celebrated were Rocco’s 10 years in business and the team’s winning of the Boston Business Awards’ Customer Service title in October.

Kelly and Rocco will have been together 15 years this September.

They celebrated five years of Salon Alchemy last week.

Five years prior Rocco worked in partnership with Pep Pasqualino and Image International.

Kelly is an ex-student at Spalding High School and a hockey player at Spalding Hockey Club, in Surfleet.

She said: “The night was a great success and we will plan another one in the future.”

She thanked everyone who supported the event.

“We have raised more than £3,700, which is great as a first time event,” she added.

Children’s cancer charity The Little Princess Trust supplies real hair wigs to children suffering with cancer.

The salon is looking to offer anyone donating their hair to the Little Princess Trust to have it done on a complimentary basis.

Those taking part must be donating hair at least 17cm long and the salon is limiting it to one a week so booking in advance is advisable. To book, call 01205 368368.

Recently, two defibrillators were installed free of charge in Fleet by the East Midlands Ambulance Service.

Others were installed at other locations, mainly at Co-op food stores.

Having asked for a list of locations for public information, I was told such a list cannot be disclosed.

Since speed is vital in the event of a heart attack or stroke, this ruling seems totally illogical and out of order.

If such an event occurs, it is necessary to ring 999 to ask for the location of the nearest defibrillator and then to ring 999 again for the code to open it for use.

In my opinion, such a delay could result in death.

It is unbelievable that such a system exists.

Rain washed out the entire local cricket programme yesterday (April 16).

The emtire Lincs Premier Division and the South Lincs League programmes were cancelled as was the Smith Barry Cup Final between Godmanchester and Ramsey. Peterborough Town’s friendly at Kibworth was also cancelled leaving the city side without any warm-up action ahead of the start of the Northants Premier Division next Saturday (April 23) when they host Wollaston at Bretton Gate.

There are Rutland Division One matches scheduled for today (April 17) including Division One matches at Bourne and Market Deeping.

Cambs scheduled friendly against Hunts at St Ives today is already off.

Cancelled games

Saturday, April 16

Lincs Premier Division: Louth v Bourne, Market Deeping v Sleaford.

South Lincs Premier Division: Bourne 2nds v Spalding 2nds.

South Lincs Division Two: Long Sutton 2nds v Spalding 3rds.

Smith Barry Cup Final: Godmanchester v Ramsey.

FIXTURES

Sunday April 17

Rutland Division One (1pm): Bourne v Barnack, Market Deeping v Oundle.

Rutland Division Two: March v King’s Keys.

CANCELLED: Grantham v Newborough,

Rutland Division Three: Stewart & Lloyds v Wisbech Town 2nds.

CANCELLED: Long Sutton v Kettering,

Rutland Division Four: Loddington & Mawsley v Hampton, Nassington 2nds v Bourne 2nds.

Rutland Division Six: Uffington 2nds v Long Sutton 2nds, Ufford Park 2nds v Newborough 2nds.

CANCELLED: Orton Park 2nds v Hampton 2nds,

Friendlies:, Stowe v Ketton Lions.

CANCELLED: Hunts v Cambs.

An application has been made to turn the former Kirton Library building into shops.

Boston Borough Council has received the application from South Lincs Property Ltd which asks for a ‘change of use from library (Class D1) to shops (Class A1)’.
Kirton’s library, on Station Road, was one of those closed by Lincolnshire County Council when it decided to reduce funding due to ‘cuts’.
It has since transferred control of 15 major libraries to Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), a not-for-profit organisation.
The library in Kirton has been taken on by volunteers following an appeal by the parish council.

It has relocated to the New Life Community Church, at The Junction, on Wash Road.

It opened in October and volunteers have previously said they are hoping to construct a ‘bigger and better’ building.
The library opens Tuesday, 10am–1pm and Thursday, 2–6pm.

There are moves afoot by some residents for our district council to start using wheelie bins for refuse collection.

I understand the downsides to the current system, but those people who are petitioning for wheelie bins should consider the even larger downsides if we adopt them.

Those cities and towns that use them suffer from wheelie bin blight – the ugly sight of full or empty bins littering pavements and grass verges, thus devaluing the home you have paid many thousands of pounds for. Buyers who see this blight around a prospective home make them second choice.

Each resident has to find space for two large bins (black and green), instead of the small amount of space in your utility cupboard for a few plastic rolls.

From time to time, you may have to clean and disinfect them, depending on how you use them, or pay a contractor to clean them for you.

Two journeys will have to be made – one to put out your bin and another to return it.

Everyone would have to be issued with a bin, with the onus on residents to replace the bin if it goes missing, or is stolen.

No doubt the extra cost of introducing wheelie bins will result in rubbish collections being reduced to fortnightly, meaning we will have to store smelly refuse for longer.

Personally, I’d prefer to stay with the present system.

Martin Spencer and Annie Dunham completed a double for Spalding Indoor Bowls Club at the National Championship finals today.

They both won the singles finals at Melton Mowbray - Spencer beating Sam Tolchard (Torquay United) 21-10 and Dunham claiming victory (21-19) over Amy Stanton (Welford-on-Avon).

When Tolchard led 4-2, there was nothing to suggest that the men’s singles final would turn out to be a runaway affair.

But Spencer strung together a devastating 2-3-1-1-1-3-3 sequence, punctuated only by a Tolchard single, to lead 16-5 after 12 ends.

Spencer’s accurate drawing to the jack was the major factor but Tolchard often came close and never got the breaks. On one end, for example, he struck accurately - only to see the jack rebound up the green, giving Spencer three shots.

When Tolchard scored doubles on the 13th and 14th ends, many in the spectators’ gallery anticipated a comeback from the talented Devonian.

However Spencer was ruthless and allowed the 26-year-old Tolchard - who won the pairs with Louis Ridout last Sunday - only one more single as he sealed victory.

“I have always watched people winning this title and wondered if I might do so one day,” said Spencer.

“But I really didn’t think it would happen and I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet!”

Has he played ever better this? - “I don’t know about that,” he replied.

“But I was certainly glad to be able to bring my ‘A’ game to the semi-finals and final - and it’s fantastic for the club that Annie won the women’s title.”

Two years ago, he should have been in the Spalding trio that won the national triples title but, after helping Matt Whyers and Graham Smith to qualify, it was discovered that he had a tumour on his spine and had to undergo an emergency operation.

Ashley Caress took his place in the nationals and Spalding powered to an impressive victory - so it was a special moment for Spencer today when he was presented with the men’s singles trophy by EIBA president Jenny McConnell.

In the semi finals, three-time champion Greg Harlow - who won in 2002, 2011 and last year - suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Spencer who played consistently well to beat him 21-10.

Earlier, Spencer had finished with a flourish against Weymouth Moonfleet’s Martin Puckett, scoring a full house of four shots on the 22nd end that gave him the lead for the first time, and turned a 17-18 deficit into a 21-18 quarter-final victory.

Before the ladies singles final began, Annie Dunham’s husband Scott - a fine bowler in his own right - told her to pretend she was a red bus - a concept that perhaps that needs some explaining.

“In a recent Test match against Scotland, the commentator, referring to my red bowls, suggested that I was playing so well I was as unstoppable as a red English bus - and we rather liked the description,” explained Dunham.

“Scott’s always very good at helping me prepare for a big game and I went out there with that phrase running through my mind.

“Although I was behind for most of the final, I was determined not to give up - and I kept on revving myself up, and believing I could do it.”

Stanton started brilliantly, carding a full house of four shots on the first end, and was 12-7 ahead by the 12th end. Seemingly always in control, the 26-year-old looked the likely winner when she led 17-11 after 19 ends.

But Dunham, who scored a treble on the 20th and a double on the 22nd, struck a telling blow when she picked up a full house of four shots on the 24th end to take the lead for the first time.

On a nail-biting 25th end, she trailed the jack gently to a place that Stanton just could not reach.

“It’s really special to have won both titles for Spalding,” Dunham said.

“It’s such a close-knit and friendly club with a lively junior section that Martin, who is three months younger than me, and I came through at the same time.”

Dunham, who faced Riverain’s prodigious 17-year-old star Rachel Tremlett in the ladies quarter-finals, took her time to get on top and was only 9-8 in front after nine ends.

But a full house of four shots on the 10th gave her a 13-8 lead and she allowed Tremlett only three more singles as she won 21-11.

In Saturday night’s semi-final, Dunham was all-square with Egham’s Kylie Hampton, 9-9 after 14 ends.

However, she allowed the Surrey star to score on only one more end - a treble on the 18th - as she scorched to victory, scoring a treble herself on the 19th end, and a full house of four shots to win on the 20th.

Neal Spafford was the hero of the day with a last-minute goal to earn Spalding United’s first win in nine games.

The Tulips had drawn five and lost three since a 4-0 home win over Goole at the end of February.

And they had gone 12 away games without a win following the 3-0 victory at Leek Town last November.

Saturday’s final away game of the season at Newcastle Town looked destined for a goalless stalemate until Spafford’s late strike.

The home goal area was packed with players for Dan Lawlor’s corner kick.

The ball twice caught the woodwork before Spafford headed firmly home via the far post to set up the celebrations.

But the game was far from over as it went into stoppage-time with the hosts piling on the pressure until the Tulips’ defensive qualities won the day.

At times the game, keenly contested throughout, had appeared as it was – a typical end-of-season affair between two evenly matches sides.

But there was no shortage of some quality football.

The game was also enhanced by a team of match officials who contributed greatly.

Play throughout was from end to end.

Spalding keeper Michael Duggan twice denied the hosts in the early stages with saves from Neville Thompson and Harry Clayton.

At the other end Dave Parton saved well from Sam Murphy.

The home keeper was also equal to Dan Banister’s chip midway through the first half and five minutes before the 
interval he did well to keep out Tom Waumsley’s firm strike.

There was much of the same in the second half with both keepers fully involved.

Tulips’ skipper Nathan Stainfield (nominated man-of-the-match by referee Alan Clayton) saw his shot deflected for a corner and Lawlor’s kick was confidently dealt with by Parton.

Duggan again saved well from Thompson and James Garlic as the stalemate continued.

But with the clock showing 89 minutes Spafford out-jumped the pack to secure the points for the Tulips.

Spalding: Duggan, Walker, Jackson, Spafford, Stainfield, Murphy, Banister, Lawlor, Eason (sub Sanders 71 mins), Waumsley, Curtis. Subs not used: Lockie, Kadar, Butland, Talbot.

Spalding’s annual awards will be presented after the final game of the season against Leek Town in the Tulips Social Club. Saturday’s event is open to everyone (no charge) from around 8pm and refreshments will be served.

A charity bingo in aid of two brothers from Bourne diagnosed with muscular dystrophy has been hailed a huge success after raising more than £1,700.

Paula Galley says she was completely “overwhelmed” by people’s generosity after holding the event in support of her young nephews Ben and Sam Rogers last week.

It was a full house at Tilney St Lawrence Village Hall as 150 people packed out the venue for the bingo last Thursday.

A total of £1,733 was raised but Mrs Galley said donations for nine-year-old Ben and Sam (5) were still pouring in – and she hopes to eventually raise more than £2,000.

The money will go towards providing a hydrotherapy pool for the boys, who were both diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy, known as Duchenne, last November.

The condition affects around one in every 3,500 boys and causes muscles to weaken to a point where they will usually need to use a wheelchair by the age of 12.

After their shock diagnosis, Ben and Sam’s parents, Mrs Galley’s sister and brother-in-law Anna and Owen Rogers, launched the Forbenandsam charity, to help fund equipment they will need as their lives change in years to come.

The couple, who live in Bourne and also have a seven-year-old daughter Lily, also hope it will raise awareness of the condition and fund research into potential cures.

Mrs Galley, who lives in Tilney St Lawrence, wanted to raise money towards the hydrotherapy pool, which will relax the boys’ muscles, helping them walk for longer.

On behalf of the family she said: “We would like to say a massive thank you for everyone’s support in making the bingo evening a huge success.

“I can’t thank people enough for their generosity, we are truly grateful.”

She thanked local businesses which donated bingo and raffle prizes, and she paid particular thanks to Fleet Timber Services which donated £100.

The next fundraiser is a charity race night, organised by Mrs Rogers, at Bourne Town Football Club on April 22. For more information on the boys’ charity visit: http://forbenandsam.com

The residents of South Holland and The Deepings have recently received a leaflet through their doors entitled ‘The UK and the European Union: The facts’.

This leaflet looks official and purports to give the facts about the referendum – indeed, for more information, recipients are advised to consult www.eureferendumfacts.org

For many people, a magnifying glass will have been needed to establish that this leaflet was, in fact, compiled and distributed by Vote Leave Ltd – one of the private companies promoting Brexit.

The ‘facts’ it contains are selective, incomplete and biased towards a ‘no’ vote.

The Electoral Commission website makes it clear that the law requires all EU referendum campaigners who propose to spend more than £10,000 on their campaign to be registered with the commission and be bound by all relevant rules and restrictions.

This includes expenditure limits, donations and the legal requirements relating to campaign literature.

Troubled by the misleading nature of this promotional literature, I spoke with an officer in the Electoral Commission’s campaigns section. It would appear that their phones have been very busy.

Vote Leave Ltd has registered with the commission and will be required to satisfy all legal requirements, including a £700,000 cap on campaign spending.

It will also need to satisfy the legal requirements applied to all printed campaign material.

The EU referendum campaign, however, is officially designated to begin on April 15 and it is only from this date that campaigners will be required to abide by the rules.

I was told, therefore, that there is absolutely nothing it is required to do in respect of this recent promotional material as it falls outside the designated period and thus the legal and financial restrictions do not yet apply. A clever move by Vote Leave Ltd.

Those of us who rely on informed debate can only hope that they have not managed to fool too many of the recipients across the country.

Police would like to trace the man pictured in connection with a commercial burglary in Spalding.

The burglary at a premises in the town took place in the early hours of March 27. It is not believed anything was taken.

Officers would like to trace the man to see if he has any information that could assist the enquiry.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police on the non-emergency number 101 quoting incident 80 of 27/03/2016.

Alternatively the independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555111.

A Spalding student is asking local people to slip on their best retro outfits to support his expedition to South America this summer.

Willis Ingleby (16) is organising a disco at Spalding Grammar School to raise money for his month-long trip to Ecuador in July.

The retro dance, which will take place on June 11, will feature music from the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties, all played by a DJ who only uses vinyl records.

“It’s going to be really authentic and very much of the time,” Willis said.

Willis will be visiting Ecuador with 17 schoolmates plus four members of staff on a trip co-ordinated by Outlook Expeditions.

The pupils, aged between 16 and 18, will start the expedition by trekking in the Andes, the world’s longest continental mountain range.

They will then do charity work, supporting communities living in the Amazonian Rainforest by building houses and trails.

Almost a quarter of Ecuador’s population live in poverty.

Finally, the teenagers will have the opportunity to experience the wildlife and take in some of the country’s most famous sights.

Geography teacher Stephen Lane, who will be leading one of the teams during the expedition, said: “Having accompanied students on our 2014 expedition to Vietnam and Cambodia, I can appreciate what a fantastic opportunity this will be for the students.”

In order to go on the once in a lifetime trip, each student needs to raise more that £3,500.

Willis hopes that the retro disco will help him reach this target.

He has already organised cake sales and participated in bag-packing events to raise funds for the expedition.

“I’m just really excited to explore the country with my friends and help the community out there,” the 16-year-old said.

“The trip will allow me to visit Ecuador and explore the background of the country, too.”

To date, Willis has sold 100 tickets to the dance.

He will be supported at the event by his half-brother, Spalding RFC’s open side flanker Harry Sharman.

“He’s a confident lad and I’m sure he will thrive out there in Ecuador,” Harry said.

The rugby player also said many of his team mates would be at the disco to show support for Willis, who is captain of the club’s under 16s team.

“It’s a great cause and we are all very proud of him,” Harry added.

For more information about the disco, please contact Phil Ingleby on 07946612730. Tickets are £15 and available for collection from the Castle Sports Complex in Spalding or the NFU Offices, Springfields.

A former Spalding schoolboy who grew up in care has spoken of his sadness relating to the news of two girls brought up in care who committed murder.

Mark Edwards, now ordained in the Anglican Church, has drawn on his own experiences and says however bad a start in life the girls had it is no excuse to kill someone.

He has spoken out in relation to the murder of Angela Wrightson (39), in Hartelpool, County Durham, on December 8, 2014, for which two teenage girls – aged 13 and 14 at the time of the offence – have just been jailed for 15 years.

“I spent most of – if not my entire – childhood having suffered abuse of one kind or another, being shunted and moved around various foster homes from the age of three, some of them good, some of them not so good,” he recalls.

“But despite the abuses of my childhood and the disruption to my education I didn’t grow up to murder anyone or drift into a life of crime or take drugs.”

Mark, who attended Spalding’s Gleed Boys’ School, lived at Ivo Cottage in the town from 1971-78. After leaving he was sectioned to a mental health hospital after attempting suicide and was homeless for a time but since turning his life around he has become a married father of four and holds an MBE for services to his community.

“The council-run home I was in took up to 20 children from the age of three up to 18 with only two house parents on duty at a time to look after us.

“The regime was strict and regimented, we lived within set boundaries and there was discipline. I felt secure in that regime.  We had fun and were mischievous, but knew not to cross the boundaries and we were taught right from wrong,” says Mark, who now lives in Dinnington, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

“I did go on a spiral of decline after I left care as I began to work out many of the un-resolved issues of my childhood; however the values and morals that the children’s home instilled in me remained with me throughout my later troubled teenage years.

“Despite being sectioned in a metal health ward after trying to commit suicide and being homeless for a short time, I did not drift into crime, drugs, alcohol abuse and nor did I ever feel like I wanted to kill anyone, despite my abusive and disadvantage back ground.”

To help come to terms with his past Mark wrote an autobiographical book called Tears in the Dark, about his life growing up in care, and a sequel – Beyond the Collar: Confessions of a Vicar – an honest and humorous look at his life as a vicar working in a deprived area.

“It is hard being brought up in care, it’s difficult when you’ve had a bad start in life, it’s horrendous when you’ve suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse, but however horrendous your upbringing it’s not an excuse to drift into crime or kill,” he adds.

We must be crazy to vote to stay in the EU.

Every week, the UK pays £350 million to belong to this circus – the people we elect do not have a proper say in how this amount is spent. The unelected comedians squander our money.

Meanwhile on these shores, we have the NHS, police, education and social care crying out for more money, not to mention the poor state of our country’s roads.

Why can’t we afford the necessities for people in our own country?

All because of some of the silly rules and regulations coming from the EU, creating layers of bureaucracy and causing needless expense to our businesses and the endless waste we read about daily.

For the last 10 years or more, the auditors of the EU have not signed off their annual accounts. Could the reason be that they don’t balance?

When we have our backs against the wall, we respond like we have in the past.

I am not anti-European, just anti-EU. Voting to come out will give us the UK back.

Moulton Harrox face the prospect of winning the title at the home of Pinchbeck United on Tuesday night (6.30pm).

A point will be enough for unbeaten Moulton who had to battle for a 2-1 win at PFA Senior Cup finalists Langtoft United at the weekend.

Ian Bradbury and Ollie Maltby scored the goals for the champions-elect with James Duffy replying for the home side.

Moulton would have sealed top spot on Saturday had Whittlesey Athletic lost.

But they strolled to a 5-0 success at home to lowly Leverington thanks mainly to a hat-trick from Liam Harrold.

Netherton United’s surge towards second spot received a massive boost.

They downed fellow high-fliers Pinchbeck 3-2 at the Grange to move to within four points of the runners-up berth currently occupied by Whittlesey.

The race for second carries great significance as both Netherton and Whittlesey have applied for promotion to the United Counties League and only the highest finisher wiill be successful.

Both teams have seven matches remaining including a game against each other at Feldale Field on May 3.

Player-boss Ian Dunn fired Pinchbeck into an early lead on Saturday but Steve Mastin’s deflected shot hauled Netherton level before the break.

Adam Scott then shot the home side ahead before Liam Ogden equalised for a Pinchbeck side protecting a 10-game winning streak.

But substitute Dwayne Rankin bagged a late winner for Netherton.

Netherton remain two points behind third-placed Pinchbeck but have a game in hand.

Biggest winners of the weekend were ICA Sports who crushed Crowland Town 9-1.